Lawmakers Urged To Act On Expanding Iowa’s Direct Care Workforce

DES MOINES — Lawmakers are being encouraged to push forward legislation to address the needs of Iowa’s aging population and those with disabilities who rely on the direct care workforce.It’s hardly a new issue, advocates told a House Human Resources subcommittee Tuesday on House File 402, which calls for expansion of the federally required direct care worker registry to include all certified nursing assistants regardless of their employment setting.“Year in and year out, the Legislature has discussed the need to build a larger and more sustainable direct care workforce,” John and Terri Hale, whose consulting firm advocates on caregiving issues, wrote to the subcommittee.